


I Knew You Could Do It!

by RoseClara28



Series: A Piece of Her [3]
Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Continuity of Discontinued Storyline, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gen, Lea is Pregnant, Missing Scene From My Previous Fanfic, One Shot, Post Season 3, autistic author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25838953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseClara28/pseuds/RoseClara28
Summary: Shaun has had his learner's permit for two years now, but now the father-to-be wants to finish what he started. One-shot prequel to "A Piece of Her".
Relationships: Aaron Glassman & Shaun Murphy, Lea Dilallo & Aaron Glassman, Lea Dilallo/Shaun Murphy
Series: A Piece of Her [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748485
Kudos: 10





	I Knew You Could Do It!

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't incorporate this into my current work in progress "Just Like Her Mother", but I thought Shaun getting his driver's license would have been a good storyline. So, here is a one-shot prequel to "A Piece of Her" as well as a missing scene. It is set sometime after the flashback scene of Chapter 8 in "A Piece of Her." Also, I'm sorry if I didn't get California's guidelines on driving tests and earning learner's permits/drivers licenses and driving guidelines accurate because I took my driving test and earned my permit and license in Texas.

It was the start of the year 2021 yet close to the end of January, and with a baby on the way, there were a lot of things Shaun had been doing (with a lot of research) for Lea other than paying attention to her health and well-being and making sure she was taking care of herself.

For instance, Shaun started taking on more of the chores or tasks as some of them had become more difficult for Lea to do and were going to get even more challenging as her belly grows even larger. Painting the nursery and cutting their child's umbilical cord were tasks already assigned to him. He was prepared to get kicked to the couch so Lea could have more space on the bed once sleeping comfortably will later become a hassle for her. He's already started rubbing her back and her feet, and he was going to continue doing that and was probably going to be woken up by her begging for a back rub or sexy time in the middle of the night. Whatever craving Lea had, Shaun would satisfy her needs (even if it was 2:00 in the morning). He also worked on not taking her outbursts and mood swings personally and being extra careful about what he said around her. He also listened to her complaints and vents, finding ways to make her feel better and help her manage her hyperemesis gravidarum and recently diagnosed gestational diabetes. He even got her morning sickness drops as a birthday present and even anti-nausea bracelets as an early Christmas present.

Although choosing a baby girl name was on Lea (Shaun already decided on a baby boy name, Steven Aaron), Shaun was very involved with her when it came to everything else - being present at every prenatal appointment, finding a doula, putting their registry together, creating the birth plan, maybe signing up for a few birthing classes, looking into childcare options, finding a pediatrician, handling finances, preparing for what it's going to be like after the baby is born, and being present during the entire labor and birth.

However, there was one particular thing that Shaun had been fixated on getting done since he found out he was going to be a father - and that was to finish getting his driver's license. He still had his permit, but he discontinued the process of earning his license once he gave Dr. Glassman his license back when he had cancer. Since then, he went back to taking the bus and as of recently, sometimes driving with Lea.

With the baby set to arrive in May and his permit expiring soon on March 15, 2021 (his 29th birthday), Shaun decided back in November of 2020 that he definitely needed to finish getting his license as driving was also going to start getting uncomfortable for Lea and he was going to be driving her to the hospital once she goes into labor (if they weren't already at the hospital). Sure, they could just easily Uber or take the bus, but driving was a very important skill.

Lea was originally the person who would usually be the person in the front passenger seat during practice driving, but because of severe morning sickness, the driving sessions were often interrupted and she thought a back-up instructor was necessary.

* * *

 _Shaun_ _was sitting in the driver's seat of the striped tomato while a 15-weeks pregnant Lea was sitting in the passenger's seat. This was one of the few days where they had gotten off work at the same time, so Shaun was going to drive the two of them home and fill in the required driving hours._

_It's been a while since he drove, so this was a bit nerve-wracking for him and Lea. He was praying he wouldn't get them into a wreck._

_In addition, Lea had also been experiencing severe morning sickness into her second trimester, which was worrying Shaun._

_"Have you had enough water today? Dr. Glassman said you've been vomiting a lot, and it's been happening at home, too."_

_"Shaun, I'm fine. I've been drinking a lot of water," Lea sighed in slight annoyance. She appreciated her boyfriend's concern, but his hovering could get on her nerves. And now her boss was doing the same thing. "Anyway, remember, driving is just like surgery, right? Remember the bad analogy I came up with two years ago."_

_"A stalled out truck is like a thrombus impeding blood flow. A car coming out of nowhere is like a tachyarrhythmia. And a pedestrian running out into the streets is like a dropped Metzenbaum," recited Shaun with confidence, clutching the steering wheel tightly._

_"Good, good. And you do remember how you should use the bike lane and the broken line, right? And you remember to adjust your seat and mirrors?" Lea made sure Shaun wouldn't forget that. They didn't want a repeat of that stressful incident._

_"Yes. I'm ready to drive," Shaun stated as he adjusted his seat and mirrors before he suddenly thought of something. "This car does have airbags, right? Is it safe for a baby?"_

_"Yes, it is. I made sure the car was upgraded and even installed it with upgrades. There are also air vents in the backseat. However, it's going to be a bit more difficult with only two doors. Let's not jump into getting a minivan because we both agreed that we're one and done for now. We'll figure it out. I think you got this," Lea smiled at him with a huge grin as she assured him that the car met all safety standards. "But...do you need to take some deep breaths first?"_

_"I think we should. It's also a chance for you to start practicing your breathing and visualization exercises for labor," said Shaun._

_Lea giggled softly before they inhaled and exhaled for a bit until Shaun finally started the car, pulled out of the parking spot and parking garage, and onto the open road._

_For a few minutes, Shaun was driving smoothly and beautifully without any problems or interruptions. He was already doing better than he did the last times despite it being two years since he drove._

_But it didn't last long. The peaceful drive was interrupted by Lea feeling sick to her stomach and it getting worsened by the smell of roadkill skunk when Shaun stopped at a red light, which ironically bothered Lea more than Shaun, further triggering her nausea. Since developing a heightened sense of smell, she was starting to fully understand what Shaun meant when he talked about rain smelling like ice cream, the parking garage smelling like fabric softener, and coffee smelling like leather...because she could almost smell everything, especially the cafeteria from a distance._

_"It smells like a runover skunk," Shaun wrinkled his nose in disgust as the odor entered the car._

_"Oh, my god! That is awful!" Lea cringed, putting her palm over her nose and mouth and scrunching her face up as the stench hit her nose, gagging a little bit in her throat and feeling the urge to throw up. Roadkill skunk wasn't a new stench to her senses, but her newly hypersensitive olfactory system made the stench nauseating. "Shaun, pull over! I feel sick!"_

_"I can't! I'm at a red light!" Shaun reminded hesitantly, not wanting to break any rules and get a ticket._

_"Oh, my god! Not here!" Lea snapped, raising her voice. "After the light turns green and we're not stopped anymore!"_

_Right on cue, the traffic light turned green and immediately, Shaun was frantically probing Lea with questions. "Where do you want me to pull over?"_

_"Anywhere!" Lea demanded, her breathing labored as she struggled to keep her vomit down. "Gas station, a parking lot, side of the road; just not in the middle of the street! Hurry!"_

_By the time Shaun finally succeeded in pulling into a parking lot, Lea couldn't hold back the contents in her stomach anymore and ended up using her purse as a barf bag._

_Shaun watched in silence as she emptied the contents of her stomach into her purse; he was rolling down the windows. If only he pulled over sooner, then she would have had more time to climb out of the car and throw up on the concrete or in the grass._

_"Are...you...alright?" He asked shyly as she finished vomiting and wiped her mouth with her sleeve._

_"Shaunie, I'm sorry," Lea exhaled quietly as she took a glance at her ruined purse. "Maybe I should put barf bags in here, and I'm also going to need a new purse...and you're probably going to need a new driving instructor. I'm not talking about a replacement, just a substitute because I don't think I can help you with every single one. Maybe Glassy, Debbie, or Carly could help you."_

* * *

Carly's patience and methods of helping Shaun practice driving were at the understanding of Lea's level, so she was usually his second driving instructor compared to Debbie and Dr. Glassman. Remembering how she felt about him and Lea when they were dating, Shaun sometimes worried how Pat (Carly's boyfriend) felt about her helping her ex-boyfriend with driving. Carly reassured Shaun that it didn't bother Pat at all and that she was more than happy to help him with this.

But right now as Shaun was practicing for the upcoming driving test scheduled for tomorrow (his second attempt as he failed at the first attempt due to not coming to a complete stop) by driving down the exact route, it was instead Dr. Glassman who was in the passenger seat of the striped tomato since Carly and Pat had gone to visit her family in Birmingham to see her dying grandfather and attend his funeral.

Shaun had practiced driving the DMVs route three times already, and he did well so far, yet he was still afraid that he was going to fail the test again (thank god California eliminated parallel parking from their driving test). He and Dr. Glassman were now sitting in the hooptie, which was parked into a parking lot. Dr. Glassman thought it would be good to stop for a while and take a break before practicing one more time.

Aaron remembered being pissed at Shaun for taking away his driver's license when he started experiencing memory slips back when he had cancer two years ago. He felt like he had been stripped of his independence and self-sufficiency. However, he knew deep down that Shaun was probably right because during that time, he had a few memory slips while driving that could have gotten him into an accident. He had actually been in Shaun's position when he and his father had to convince an aging Grandma Glassman that it wasn't safe for her to drive anymore. And to be fair, Aaron was kind of guilty of barring Shaun from his independence by never letting him drive at all. In hindsight, he guessed that Shaun taking his license away was karma coming back to haunt him.

Lea was right. Shaun was not some helpless child who constantly needed protection. He was an adult; a very smart, caring adult. Now, he was pushing 30 and expecting his first child with his girlfriend.

"So, has Lea finally decided on the girl's name?" Dr. Glassman asked Shaun curiously. He was going to ask Lea earlier today, but he forgot. He felt honored to be one of the namesakes for Shaun and Lea's son.

"We decided on Eleanor Clementine, but we're going to call her 'Nell'," asserted Shaun. "Eleanor is after Lea's grandmother and Clementine because Lea likes clementines. Nell is after Dr. Melendez. Sorry, but in case Debbie was hoping for it, our daughter's middle name will not be Deborah." Although Debbie had recently become a mother-figure for Lea and Lea had become a surrogate daughter for Debbie as she suffered six miscarriages during her first marriage and eventually gave up on trying to have children, her name didn't appeal very well as a middle name in Lea's opinion.

"For the record, Debbie won't be offended that your daughter won't be named after her. She wasn't really counting on it. Also, I think that's a beautiful name, and I think Dr. Melendez would have been very happy," complimented Dr. Glassman, saddening a bit at the mention of Dr. Melendez and how he died before getting a chance to find love and have the children he always desired after his break-ups with Jessica and Dr. Lim. It was kind of odd that the man who started off seeing Shaun as a liability was now a namesake for his daughter, even though it was feminized. "Anyway, what do you and Lea think the baby is? Assuming you still plan to wait till the baby is born?"

"Lea thinks its a boy because we both grew up with brothers and males seem to run in her family. The same could be said for my relatives because my parents had more brothers than sisters. My aunts and uncles also had more sons than daughters. I only had one female cousin," explained Shaun before contradicting. "However, if sex determination superstitions were accurate, the chances of it being a girl would be higher."

"What are you two hoping for?" Dr. Glassman inquired with curiosity.

"We don't care what it is, and Lea and I aren't changing our minds. We don't want to know the sex," replied Shaun earnestly. "We put a lot of thought into it for many reasons. It can lead to gender stereotyping and gender bias. A few anecdotes claimed not knowing made labor more exciting and it could also reduce the risk of gender disappointment. Also, sonograms can be wrong sometimes."

"Yeah, that is true. I definitely agree with the last part," verified Dr. Glassman before he continued to ask questions about Lea. "Anyway, how is Lea doing? How has she been feeling? I can't imagine how difficult it is for her to have both hyperemesis gravidarum and gestational diabetes."

"She doesn't like being pregnant and doesn't feel as amazing as she thought she would feel. It's been stressful and difficult for her," Shaun responded. "The anti-nausea bracelets I got her have helped her a bit, but still...and her recently getting diagnosed with gestational diabetes has actually made me more stressed about the test, the rest of the pregnancy, and the birth."

"I'm sure Lea will be okay," reassured Dr. Glassman, knowing that Dr. Garcia was one of the state's most qualified obstetricians.

"I'm going to fail the test again and again, then my permit will expire and I won't be able to vote in elections or take the driving test anymore, which means I failed as a boyfriend and a father...and probably as a husband, too," carped Shaun, angrily ruffling his hair with one hand and gripping the steering wheel with the other.

"Stop it! Shaun, look at me! You're being irrational right now," cajoled Dr. Glassman sternly, finding it unusual for Shaun to be thinking this way. He was probably overwhelmed from being a fourth-year surgical resident with the stress of having to pass his driver's test, a child on the way, and a girlfriend with a high-risk pregnancy. "You can pass this test. The mistake you made on your first attempt was not coming to a complete stop. It's easily fixable and you've been doing better at remembering to do that. You can do this. And if you do end up failing a second time or again and again, that's okay. Lea isn't going to love you any less and neither will your kid. We can also renew your permit and you still have your state-issued ID to vote in elections. Also, when she goes into labor and she's not at the hospital, you two can Uber to the hospital or just call an ambulance if you don't think you'll make it to the hospital in time. You know what to do. Don't worry too much about it right now. Having this much stress when you take your driving test is only going to make things worse."

"Okay," Shaun sighed as he wiped his tears, his face red and his eyes full of tears. He knew he was obviously being irrational, but most of this wasn't really about the driver's test...and Dr. Glassman could tell.

"You know what, I don't even think this is about passing the driver's test," consoled Dr. Glassman. "I think this is about Lea and your child. Lea is having a difficult pregnancy with two complications so far, and you're probably afraid of the other possible worst-case scenarios that could happen during the rest of her pregnancy and during the birth."

"We binge-watched _Call the Midwife_ two months ago. Maybe it wasn't the best idea," shared Shaun. He and Lea started binging the show not long after she became pregnant and they watched every single available episode, and although a good show, it was not easy to watch as expectant parents. Even after the most difficult-to-sit-through episodes - the one with the fatal case of eclampsia and a baby being snatched from her stroller, the one with SIDS, the ones that involved babies with birth defects being treated poorly, the ones that involved teenage mothers getting their children taken away from them, the one with the stillborn twin, the one where a mother pulled out part of her daughter's uterus while trying to pull out the placenta, the one where a baby almost died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the one where Nurse Lucille was treated with bigotry when a mother had a postpartum stroke, and even the illegal abortion subplot in season eight - they continued to watch. Lea sat through all the birth scenes, even when they started to get stressful.

"Yeah, probably not the best idea," agreed Dr. Glassman. "I think you're also afraid of losing both of them; I know how much losing your rabbit and your brother affected you, and you're afraid of a similar tragedy happening again. I also think you're worried about being a good father. That's probably another main issue."

Dr. Glassman was right. This was mostly about Shaun's apprehension over the health of his girlfriend and unborn child as well as the kind of father he was going to be. "Yes, it is," sniffed Shaun.

"I'm sure that Lea and the baby will be fine...even if you do come across a few more complications. And you will be a good father. You're going to make a lot of mistakes, but most of them won't scar your child for life. And I know you'll do better than your father," assured Dr. Glassman, patting Shaun's shoulder. "Right now, let's just focus on passing your driver's test, okay?"

"Okay," exhaled Shaun. "I want to practice driving the route one more time."

"Alright. One more spin."

* * *

The very next day when Shaun was not on call, he, Lea, and Dr. Glassman were now standing outside the crowded DMV by the striped tomato, where Shaun was going to take his driver's test...and hopefully pass this time.

Lea and Dr. Glassman stood by the car with him to wish him good luck before he would get back in the vehicle to begin his test.

"Good luck, Shaun. You got this," assured Dr. Glassman, clapping him on the shoulder.

"You can do this, Shaunie. You'll do great," Lea encouraged, wrapping her arms around Shaun and giving him a kiss while he had his arms around her waist. 

Shaun felt a jab against the front of his torso, which happened to be their child. The couple slightly pulled away from each other and then glanced down at Lea's protruding belly.

"I guess someone wanted to wish their daddy luck," Lea glared up at Shaun, giggling tearfully as she put a hand to her belly before looking back down towards her middle. "Daddy's going to nail this."

"I got this, peanut. Daddy's got this," Shaun said softly to his unborn child while gently rubbing Lea's belly before planting a kiss on it.

Then, Shaun was off to take his driver's test.

* * *

Lea and Dr. Glassman sat together silently and nervously while they waited for Shaun to complete his driver's test, worried how he was going to react if he failed twice.

Forgetting about Shaun for a minute, Aaron turned his head to the side and glanced at Lea, who was lounging in the chair with her eyes closed, her hands over her pregnant belly, and her earbuds in. His assistant was six months pregnant and her external behaviors had shifted a little from bubbly and energetic to moody, tired, and not to mention more vulnerable. It was pretty unusual for Aaron to see her like that. 

His thoughts were then interrupted when he saw Lea agitatedly stir from her brief slumber, grimacing a little bit as she struggled to adjust into a more comfortable position.

"Lea, are you alright?" Dr. Glassman asked as he noticed her press down a bit on the top of her belly. He always knew when her back was aching.

"Yeah," the young woman grunted in reaction to the sharp pain she was feeling under her breasts. "The baby probably has an arm or a foot under my rib."

"Ah. That must be annoying," said Aaron. This wasn't the first time he's seen her wince from things like a spasm, Braxton Hicks, heartburn, or sharp fetal movement.

"It really is," Lea sighed as she was able to dislodge her baby from beneath her ribs.

Shaun wasn't the only one who was handling a pregnant Lea, but Aaron was as well.

He thought back to the scare Lea gave him eight weeks ago when she passed out and hit her head after vomiting, and she was later diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. The second scare she gave him was two weeks ago when she slipped and fell backward, landing on her buttocks. He and Dr. Lim saw it happen and they frantically sprinted towards her, repeatedly asking her if she was alright. Already annoyed with being the center of attention, Lea snapped at both of them, telling them she was fine and that she was sick of everyone hovering over her.

Aaron has also dealt with her hormones and a few of her pregnancy meltdowns as well, such as the moment when she forgot to turn on a computer due to pregnancy brain despite knowing a lot about tech.

"Glassy, would you like to feel the baby move?" Lea asked Dr. Glassman hesitantly, blushing a little bit as she removed her earbuds.

Aaron was a bit surprised by Lea's offer, his eyes widening. As much as he actually would want to feel the baby move, it felt rude for him to even ask as she was also his employee. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I know you already hate strangers who do this."

"No, strangers and random people I'm not very close with are the only ones who are forbidden from touching my belly," retorted Lea. "Shaun - the person who put this baby in me - and also anyone who will help take the baby out are the only ones who are allowed to touch my belly whenever they want. People who didn't help make this baby but are close to me and Shaun like you and Debbie are only allowed if you're granted permission...and you have my permission as this is sort of you and Debbie's grandchild. You're also pretty much their only true grandparents...or grandparent figures."

Lea grabbed Aaron's hand and placed it over her belly. Aaron's eyes widened when he felt the sudden nudge. Honestly, he hadn't felt an unborn baby kick since his ex-wife was pregnant with Maddie...which was almost 33 years ago. He withdrew his hand once the movement stopped.

The two of them never got along. Lea's first impression of Aaron was as Shaun's nebby boss who barged into her apartment looking for Shaun. He used to have a huge distrust of her, fearful of her hurting Shaun. After that, it turned into slight hostility. But they both started to get along better than they used to. They both cared about Shaun deeply.

It also felt strange to Aaron to be referred to as a grandparent. Sure, he and Debbie were old enough to be someone's grandparents, but they accepted years ago (before they even met, actually) that they would never have any grandchildren since Aaron's daughter was dead and Debbie had given up after too many miscarriages. With Shaun and Lea as their surrogate children, Little Murphy was pretty much their surrogate grandchild.

However, he wasn't really expecting Shaun and Lea's child to call him and Debbie "Grandma" and "Grandpa" since Shaun never called them "Mom" and "Dad". When it came to Little Murphy's biological grandparents, their grandfathers were dead (their paternal grandfather didn't deserve to be a part of their life anyway) and their grandmothers were deservingly out of the picture.

 _They're probably going to call me "Glassy" like Lea does,_ he thought.

"I hope Shaun passes the test this time," said Lea nervously, randomly, and sadly. "I mean, I won't be angry at him if he doesn't. It's really not a big deal. Hell, I failed my driver's test the first three times. It's just...I know he's going to be very upset if he fails again. He was the first time."

"I hope so, too," sighed Dr. Glassman, staring at the ceiling as he thought about his and Shaun's conversation the night before and the fact that both Shaun and Lea mentioned the word _husband_. "Anyway, did you say _husband_? Did Shaun recently propose or something? Are you two already engaged? Did you elope?"

"No," Lea laughed a bit. "I mean, yes, I said _husband_. But no, we're not engaged and we didn't elope. I mean, we might get married someday when we're ready, but we want to focus on planning for the baby first. That's our top priority now. I mean, you don't have a problem with the kid being born to unmarried parents, right?"

"No, of course I don't, I don't think like your mother or the priest and people from the Catholic church you went to...depending on what their beliefs were," Aaron reassured her for a second time. "It's the 21st century, not the 1800s, so you and Shaun don't need to get married as soon as possible to legitimize your kid."

"True, just making sure," said Lea, pushing her hair back behind her ears. "And to answer your question about the beliefs of Father Lynch, I have no memories of him shunning children born out of wedlock or their parents. I mean, I usually zoned out during Mass. However, he did encourage waiting until marriage. Anyway, sorry, it's just...I'm still trying to not be too critical of myself. And there was nebby old Mrs. Simpson at church who was pretty strict and fundamentalist, openly judging anyone who skipped church on Easter, Christmas, Ash Wednesday, or any day."

"That's okay, and you shouldn't have to worry about that person or your even your mother anymore," chortled Aaron, hoping that neither Shaun nor Lea's mother would ever show up at their door and make things stressful for them. "I never reminded you of nebby old Mrs. Simpson, did I?"

"No, you're nothing like her or my mother," assured Lea.

* * *

After waiting for half an hour, Shaun was finally finished taking his driving test. Lea and Dr. Glassman were standing outside the DMV as they watched him and the instructor climb out of the striped tomato. Instead of looking sad and disappointed like he did last time, he looked happy.

"I'm guessing you passed?" Dr. Glassman guessed, hoping that is what happened.

"Yes, I passed!" Shaun hopped happily, feeling proud as he walked over to his mentor and girlfriend.

"Yes!" A giddy Lea quickly hugged him as much as her protuberant belly would allow her to. She was in tears.

"I told you that you would do good this time! I'm proud of you!" Dr. Glassman praised as he hugged Shaun.

"Shaunie, I knew you could do it!" Lea said, still teary-eyed as she hugged her boyfriend again and giving him a kiss before staring down at her belly, cradling it. "Your daddy did it, sweetie!"

Shaun put his hands over Lea's and glanced at her belly, repeating her words to their unborn child. "Daddy has done it, peanut! He got his driver's license!"

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this, and I will continue writing "Just Like Her Mother". Please review :)


End file.
